Posts Tagged ‘SPJ’

Status is important – don’t lose it!

It’s that time of year – holiday bustle, good food and great friends, just like the ones at the IRS.

They’ve asked that our chapters file their annual Form 990’s by Dec. 15. That’s a little over a month away, so mark your calendars or, better yet, just get it over with.

Those chapters whose annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less can electronically submit Form 990-N, also known as the e-Postcard. It’s quick and painless and you’ll want to do it ASAP. Otherwise, after three consecutive years of not filing your chapter will automatically lose its tax-exempt status.

Return to sender?!

At SPJ HQ, we know how badly everyone wants to get their bright and shiny SPJ card in the mail when they join, so we get sad every time our friendly postal worker brings back a stack of returned cards. Plus, it costs us money that we could be spending on other awesome journalism training programs, which makes us extra sad.

So do us a solid and remind members that if they’re pulling up the stakes to move, let us know ASAP. We’ll be grateful, they’ll be grateful and our post office will probably be grateful, too.

It’s a major award!

Sorry, we just couldn’t help ourselves since the holidays are right around the corner. Anyway, we’re reallytalking about actual major awards – our Sigma Delta Chi Awards and the Mark of Excellence Awards, which honor outstanding professional and student journalism, respectively.

Please take a few minutes to pass on deadline information to your chapter members:

Questions about awards can be sent to our Awards Coordinator, Abbi Martzall (amartzall@spj.org, 317.920.4791).

SPJ Leads just got a makeover

Looks aren’t everything, but they’re certainly going to help Leads, our members only weekly emails.

A whole new feel will still bring you the same great news about SPJ programs, industry news and other insider info.

So what does this mean for you? A few things you need to know about the spiffy new Leads:

If your chapter does cool stuff, be sure to tell us about it by Monday each week so we can feature it in Leads on Wednesday (we can’t guarantee to include everything we receive so send early and send often)

When you submit info, send it to Taylor Carlier, our Communications Coordinator, attcarlier@spj.org

Include a short (as in 200 words or less) write up

A graphic or photo (required)

Chat with the law

You know communication is key. Because of that, we’re asking chapters across the country to open constructive dialogue with law enforcement officers in their communities. It’s imperative that those sworn to protect and serve do their jobs without jeopardizing the journalist’s responsibility to the public.

It’s Annual Report time for chapters, but don’t worry. We’re trying to make it as painless as possible. We’ll have the report posted soon, we’ll send you a link and you have plenty of time to complete them – both campus and pro reports are due May 30. Questions? Contact Tara Puckey at 317.920.4784.

Congratulations to three chapters who were recently awarded Chapter Grants for their upcoming programs! DePaul University will host a symposium about women in sports journalism, Texas A&M San Antonio plans to hold a workshop about developing community news sites and Delaware Pro will host a series of hands on FOIA programs around the state.

According to their grant application, “SPJ South Florida and the Miami chapter of NAHJ are following the lead of their national organizations- who are joining forces for EIJ this summer in Anaheim – and we’re sponsoring our own mini-conference on Saturday, July 13, at the Mayfair Hotel in Coconut Grove.” For more information on the event, visit their website.

The Forth Worth chapter plans to host an in-depth program about investigative journalism at the request of many of their members. They also hope to help out the community and had this to say: “By providing in depth training, the community will benefit as journalists apply theskills learned to report on the misuses and abuses as well as the beneficial events occurring in ourarea as well as beyond it for those reporters who take these skills with them into other areas.”

Either way, both chapters are set to provide quality programming with some extra in their wallets. Look for information about the next round of Chapter Grants in the future and congrats to these two great chapters!

Yes, you do. Scrippsters are among the best and brightest of SPJ. Fearless leaders who spent an entire weekend learning about their leadership styles, how to better their beloved chapter and had some amazing fun, of course.

They’re participants in the Ted Scripps Leadership Institute, developed to create better leaders by offering a mix of sessions focused on interpersonal and organizational leadership skills, as well as sound chapter management practices. And in 2013, the Institute is hitting the road.

In fact, it has already made a stop in Indianapolis, taking place on a chilly March weekend. A group of devoted leaders from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Nebraska gathered together to create memories and lessons that are sure to last a lifetime.

Check out their experiences!

Or, if you’re interested in more, you can always read through the Storify of the event, which captures spectacular memories, important lessons and insight into the program through the words of the Scrippsters themselves.

Then, because you’ll definitely want to be one – apply to participate in a region near you! We’ll be in Denver in June and Memphis in July. Applications are due soon, so don’t delay. Questions? Contact Chapter Coordinator, Tara Puckey, via email or phone (317) 927-8000, ext. 215.